Last Survivor
by mr.rubbish
Summary: My 3rd fiction. Getting much better. -- Ash returns as champion of the Last Survivor Challenge. But this time things won't be so easy...
1. Who is the Strongest?

--------- Last Survivor ---------

--- Part 1: Who is the Strongest? ---

The roar of the crowd was becoming louder every second. From a hole in the center of the amphitheatre rose a lift platform carrying the four chosen hunters. As they came into view rising from unseen depths the crowd became even more excited.

Ash raised his arms above his head to acknowledge his adoring public. As defending champion of the previous Last Survivor battle series he was already odds-favourite to win. This opening first round match attracting levels of interest not seen since his triumph of last season's final round. He allowed himself a broad grin as he reveled in their adoration.

He glanced around at the competition spaced out behind him. The entry draw had been secret and separate changing rooms had meant no contact before the match itself. Now with the bright studio lights beaming down he could see what he was up against.

The HUnewearl closest to him was called Meow. They had crossed swords before, she certainly was quite a feisty one, but her determination had proved to be no match for his... flair. He liked the sound of that, flair. Of course tonight at his victory party, he would console her, buy her a couple of drinks and they would become better 'friends'. His grin turned to a wry smile at that thought as he moved his attention over to the next competitor.

The imposing form of the HUcast standing at the far end of the lift touched Ash briefly with awe. The guy looked like he could take it as well as dish it out. Ash had overheard his name when he was ushered into the building more than two hours ago, Mandroid, but that was pretty much all he knew about him. One to watch he was. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end when the android tilted his head to stare back at him. He quickly moved his gaze on to the final competitor.

The last hunter, a scrawny young FOnewm, was waving to the crowd and basking in HIS glory. Ash tutted disapprovingly. This guy should earn his respect first! Ash knew little about this one too, his name was ActionJackson and he was a big fan of Ash's. He had approached Ash during the off season for his blessing to compete and now he had qualified for round one AND had gotten an opportunity to take on his idol.

The lift slowly came to a halt flush with the floor as the floor staff for the show indicated that they should move to the large metallic doors before them. The other three obliged, but Ash took his time, he knew how to play the crowd. With the deftest touch of a button on the photo-storage unit mounted to his forearm, a large sword materialised into his hand. He raised it high above his head in the manner of a conquering hero. Incredibly, the audience became even louder when they saw it: The Last Survivor. 

His signature weapon, it was a replica, getting an original proving to be impossible even for him, but no one would care. Some others had used similar weapons in the previous season but they had faded from the memories of fans and so he had made the weapon his own.

After much insistent tugging on his arm from a cute little newman he sauntered over to where his impatient rivals waited in front of the massive doors leading to the VR arena. With a hiss and light clanking, the doors parted and they entered.


	2. The Law of the Jungle

****

--- Part 2: The Law of the Jungle ---

Once inside, the doors closed leaving them in darkness for a few seconds before the lights came back on.

"Do we fight now?" Enquired ActionJackson.

Ash sighed and he was pretty sure that Meow did the same. Newbies, it took him back to his first match... it seemed like so long ago. He had been so nervous that he had almost thrown-up. ActionJackson expression indicated that he was unlikely to embarrass himself like that.

It wasn't even like he had been some fresh faced rookie at the time, he was a veteran of the campaigns on Ragol's surface. Part of a select few called up by the government to investigate a mystery where the military had failed, he would have faced the mighty Falz himself had he not been involved in the incident...

The thought of dwelling on such an unpleasant event made his entire body shudder and he cast it from his mind hoping not to show weakness to those that might exploit it. But as he looked around he realised that the others had already stepped through the teleporter. Switching to a Partisan of Lightning, he stepped into the soft green light and vanished.

A brief sensation of nausea and he arrived. The flashing lights from the ceiling and numerous sounds of mechanical systems operating in the distance informed him that this was the 'spaceship' level. It was not one of his favourites, the warm glow of the sun of the 'temple' area always felt better to battle under, instead of the harsh lights they laboured under now. He gripped the handle of the double bladed weapon, its blades fading into view and he readied himself. The door to his starting room would not unlock until everyone was ready.

He briefly closed his eyes and imagined what might be taking place outside the Arena, where the audience would wait and in hushed tones whisper Ash's name onto victory. Not just them of course, the show was broadcast primetime throughout Pioneer 2 and the fleet of ships that accompanied it in orbit around Ragol.

His eyes opened once more, jolted back to life by the disembodied voice counting down from five, the round was about to begin! He gripped the handle more tightly and when the doors opened he sprang forth. He raced up the narrow corridor into the network of interconnected rooms that made up the actual fighting area.

He crouched against an adjacent wall and listened for footsteps that would indicate an approaching adversary. He looked down at the weapon in his hand and cursing himself for a fool, deactivated the photon blades. The cost in powerup time would more than be offset by the advantage gained by not glowing like a neon sign saying "Hunter hiding here, please attack me!"

After a few moments of listening and sure that he was alone, he cautiously ran over to the far exit, head kept low to minimise his profile. This next room was filled with a series of short walls, forming an impromptu maze. He paused in the doorway and listed once more. Hearing nothing, he dashed into the centre of the room to wait for a target. He stopped in his tracks when he saw the body of Meow lying face down.

He frowned, he had not heard the announcer call out that someone had been defeated. He quickly realised that she must be faking. He activated his weapon and edged around to she what weapon she was holding in her hands. When he caught sight of her face he saw her expression, "She's a pretty good actress." He thought. He hesitated in his advance when he glimpsed what was pooled beside her mouth... Blood!

Now he was confused, had she been defeated or not? A prod with the end of his weapon yielded no response, so he moved closer.

"Are you alright?" He asked, and then immediately felt foolish for doing so.

He knelt beside the fallen HUnewearl and gingerly touched her. Despite a thin wound across her lower back she was still warm, it wasn't a hologram, so why was there blood? The VR room prevented actual damage from being dealt to those inside, and when someone was defeated a photonic body was put in the place of the removed combatant as a marker along with 'wounds' to indicate what had happened. Those removed from battle had to sit in the waiting room till the round was over.

He held her shoulder and carefully turned her over. He was shocked to see that her legs had remained in place... she had been cut in half! He stood up as a wave of nausea hit him, he covered his mouth and turned away, not wishing to see this horrible sight.

Loud and clear a metallic voice carried over to him from some unseen place.

"We meet again!"

His legs went weak at the sound of that voice, so familiar yet mocking him with the impossibility of its existence. It couldn't be!

"Who are you?" He yelled.


	3. Into the Lion's Den

****

--- Part 3: Into the Lion's Den ---

"Answer me!"

Silence.

Ash crouched low, his fighting instincts kicking in. He peered around the local walls but could see no shadow, no telltale sign of the owner of the voice that mocked him. The walls that surrounded him did not fully reach the ceiling, but were over three metres in height, their smooth, hard surface making scaling impossible.

"Do you like my handiwork?" The voice called once more.

Ash came to his senses, "Mandroid? What have you done?"

"Personally, I think it was a bit sloppy, but when the VR room's safety locks are disabled, things do get messy..." The voice tailed off at the end almost as if the android was lost in thought.

Ash tilted his head in various directions to try and determine Mandroid's location, but to no avail, the echoes in the chamber rendering it directionless. There was a crackle as the announcement speakers came to life.

"This i.....Ktt...gency. I rep...Zzt....Krk...fatali.....Bzt.."

There was a final bit of static and then it died.

"It appears that they boosted their power output. Do not worry, there shall be no more interruptions momentarily." Mandroid stated matter-of-factly.

Ash was dumb-founded, how was Mandroid manipulating the VR room like that? And more importantly why? However, his train of thought was sharply punctuated by the arrival of ActionJackson.

"Get out of here! It's a trap!" Shouted Ash.

"I'm not falling for that trick!" Replied ActionJackson.

Ash growled in frustration. "It's Mandroid! He's gone berserk!"

"Mandroid? What are you tal..." ActionJackson stopped mid-sentence. "Gurkk..." He gurgled.

This was shortly followed by a series of sickening cracking noises. Ash dropped his weapon as he covered his ears to block out the vile noise. Why were the show's organisers allowing this travesty to happen. There was a dull thud, a body thrown to the floor.

"Satisfying."

Footsteps resounded through the walls, each deliberately placed to inform Ash that his tormentor was approaching. Ash spun around, he did not wish to be caught unawares as ActionJackson had been.

In that moment, Mandroid strode into view and faced him.


	4. Unfinished Business

****

--- Part 4: Unfinished Business ---

Ash looked down at the ground. In his blind panic he had moved away from his weapon which had rolled some distance and now lay near Mandroid's feet. Mandroid's head traced the direction of Ash's gaze.

"I think you might really need that right about now." It sounded exactly as if he was _smiling_.

Ash checked Mandroid's hands, he was not carrying any photon weapons but held in one hand a large brown cube, which he seemed to be trying to conceal. Ash took a few hesitant steps backwards.

"Where are you going? You cannot escape me here, and no one can save you." Mandroid patted his chest lightly. "My upgrades ensure that this experience will not be spoiled by the untimely interference of others, especially THAT hunter, the one that saved you before..."

Ash gasped and clasped his stomach, a light phantom pain wracked his body as the memory of that terrible day in the Ruins came flooding back. A top-secret mission to recover a survey team had very nearly end with the death of him at the hands of someone he knew and had trusted. But he had been saved, saved by the Hunter that would go on to defeat Dark Falz. As his life ebbed away he had witnessed the epic battle that had resulted in the destruction of...

"Kireek!"

The White android gave no response, standing motionlessly in front of him.


	5. The Sum of All Fears

****

--- Part 5: The Sum of All Fears ---

With an almost casual movement, Kireek tossed the object in his hand at Ash who traced its lazy arc through the air towards him. As it came nearer he recognised the markings on it... it was a mine!

"Zonde!" Ash commanded.

A split second later a thin bolt of yellow-tinged lightning streaked down from above and struck the mine in mid-air. The event was expected but the outcome not so. A brilliant flash lit up the room and Ash's eyes felt like they were on fire even as his vision disappeared in a blur of white noise. He stumbled backwards hoping to put some distance between himself and the killer android before him, but he tripped on something and fell on to his back heavily, winding himself.

Desperately trying to recover, he crawled backwards blinking furiously in a vain attempt to have his vision return faster. Colliding with a wall and with tears streaming down his face he held up his arms hoping to ward off the inevitable final strike.

It did not come and after what seemed like minutes the burning white became darker and formed recognisable blobs of colour. The 'thing' he had tripped over had been Meow's body but Kireek was nowhere in sight. Had the android fled? His question was answered when Kireek once again stepped from the shadows to confront him.

"It is time to claim what is mine."

This time Ash was determined to show Kireek that he was no longer a victim, he stood upright, formed his Last Survivor and swung hard at the android, hell-bent on cutting him in two! Kireek caught the large sword in full swing with one hand, stopping it dead. Ash's mouth gaped open at what he had just seen. However Kireek was not done yet. The air was filled with the creaking of metal experiencing great stress and without warning the sword's photon blade casing shattered into many pieces.

Ash could only stare in sheer disbelief at the remains of his once almighty weapon. The android's strength must be phenomenal. With Ash powerless to act, Kireek walked over to him and with a simple backhand knocked Ash to the ground and the weapon from his hand in one go.

"How? Why?" Ash cried out as he propped himself up.

"After I was defeated by _that _Hunter, I was consigned to the scrap heap ready for recycling. However, I have powerful friends in high places."

When Ash frowned at that statement, Kireek elaborated.

"As Black Hound even I have to report to someone... Black Arm."

"Black Arm?"

"Do not concern yourself with such matters now, the secret will die with you."

"Even if you kill me, they'll catch you and deactivate you for good."

"I can leave anytime I wish, I have been equipped with the military's finest. It's amazing what you can find on the island..." He paused briefly. "But you would not know, would you?"

Ash knew he referred to a hidden island, available only to Hunters that had passed stringent examination requirements. He had tried for it between seasons but during his test a malfunction of the VR environment had resulted in all the teams taking part to fail. There was a rumour that the legendary Hunter had passed the exam that same day, but Ash had decided to quit and return to training for this show.

Kireek stood astride of Ash and sat on his chest, pinning him to the floor with his weight. He rolled his wrist in a dramatic fashion and out of thin air materialised the sinister purple scythe of Ash's nightmares. Kireek leaned forward so that his face was almost above Ash's and then proceeded to scrape his free hand downward across his own face, the screeching noise enough to set Ash's teeth on edge. The white paint flaked off readily to reveal the familiar dark blue of Kireek's true colour. Beneath him, Ash struggled to search his inventory for the item he needed.

"And now I will claim that which is rightfully mine."

"What? What's rightfully yours?"

Kireek's voice rose to a crescendo.

"YOUR SOUL!"

As Kireek raised his Soul Eater scythe high to bring down on the helpless Ash below, Ash activated a telepipe module and flicked it up on to Kireek's back. Kireek recognised the noise but was unable to react in time.

"NNNOOOOOOoooooo...." He screamed as the energy vortex above him dragged him up and inside and he disappeared from view.

With Kireek gone the vortex fluctuated wild before dissipating. Ash breathed a sigh of relief and collapsed back to the floor to await his rescue. He was unsure of where the telepipe would take Kireek, but he knew that this was not over, not even by a long shot.


	6. Final Analysis

****

--- Part 6: Final Analysis ---

Sue brooded into her drink. She had tried to play the waiting game since the lock-down nearly a week ago. The tragedy that had befallen the competitors of the Last Survivor had shocked everyone. When Kireek had caused interference with the cameras recording the show, many were secretly glad that they had not witnessed those terrible things. When word had gotten out about Kireek's upgrades and escape, there had been public outcry. Vengeance had been demanded, a contingent of Hunters formed, baying for his blood. Or whatever passed for android blood anyway.

The government were as appalled by Kireek's actions as anyone else, but when it was revealed that Kireek had been sent down to the surface, they decreed that Ragol was off limits to EVERYONE, irrespective of level or experience. This had caused much tension, not helped by the fact that suddenly every android on Pioneer 2 was under suspicion, not officially of course, but there was evidence everywhere and Sue knew that full scale riots might not be far behind.

Outside of those privy to the Hunter's Guild, there was the beginnings of panic. Sue rarely associated with non-hunters, the Hunter community was far more interesting, but she knew those that did and they expressed their concerns to her. The explosion on Ragol had occurred some nine months ago and after several years spent travelling in space only to arrive at a planet they could not visit meant that the people were losing faith in the authorities. 

But it was hardly their fault, even with the destruction of Falz, creatures still roamed the forests and outlying areas near the central dome. Despite culling efforts of the top hunters with every passing week they appeared to become more numerous and more stronger. The discovery of a hidden research facility on a island five kilometres off the southern coast had meant that security had to be tightened further. Who knew what other horrors might lie in wait?

Sue stared into her glass, half-empty. It had been that way for sometime, her thoughts moving in a circular fashion like a Farlla chasing its tail. She sighed and inwardly turned her attention to Ash. Poor Ash.

She had known him from the missions they had undertaken on Ragol. Whenever she had checked the Guild boards to find out who was active she almost always saw his name. He seemed to throw himself into his work with a dogged kind of determination that she respected. He had of course tried his luck with her, she could hardly blame him (she smiled) but she insisted that they were nothing more than friends and he had accepted that (he had no choice!).

Since that hunter had saved him in the Ruins from Kireek's near-fatal attack he had withdrawn from active surface duty and focused his attentions on a TV show by the name of Last Survivor. Some guy called Gallon had come up with the bright idea of televising Hunter battle mode competitions. It proved popular, attracting a wide selection of talent, but the best hunters frowned on such transparent glory seeking. They preferred to let their actions speak for them.

She had visited the hospital late last night to see Ash. They were not exactly close but she knew him well enough to be concerned. When she did meet him she was soon given reason for concern. He refused to leave his hospital room, forming a barricade on the door. It had taken several minutes of gentle coaxing before he finally relented and let her in. He had sustained no lasting injuries physically but his mental state was another story entirely. His paranoid delusions well fuelled by an enemy that by all rights should be dead. The nurses confided to her that the mere sight of an android would send him into a psychotic episode.

She had extracted all the information she could from his ramblings before he curled up into a ball, rocking back and forth in a near catatonic state. His words had chilled her though, they pointed to something dark ingrained into the society on Pioneer 2.


	7. Deeper Underground

****

--- Part 7: Deeper Underground ---

She tapped away lazily at the battered PDA. The screen flashed with the notes she had been making over the course of the day. Her first stop had been Kroe and Anna Wayanes. Anna had been a member of Black Paper's gang. They were twins and Kroe had used that fact to infiltrate and bring about the apprehension of Black Paper. Sue had been shocked at his unmasking, it was Alex, her on and off hunting partner. 

The last time she had seen him alive was when he had mysteriously ditched her while they were looking for Doctor Osto's research notes. Teaming up with the legendary hunter she had found him but he was acting strangely and so they left him behind. The authorities had checked the transporter logs and found that he had made too many trips to the surface with the ones caught by Kroe for it to be coincidence.

Alex had revealed the name of a partner, Black Hound but was murdered in his holding cell before he could divulge more. Kireek's confidence in his powers meant he had let slip of his true identity to the One who would defeat Falz. The legendary hunter proved to be the strongest in that encounter. And now it seemed that the two of them reported to a higher power, Black Arm.

It all made sense if you thought about it. Hound and Paper were killing the hunters for their weapons. A few were being sold but the rest were being destroyed. The Wayanes sisters told Sue that they had been instructed to look out for 'something special'. No ordinary rare weapons, what was it they sought?

With that trail going cold she had questioned the recovery team sent to the Ruins and every junk dealer, scrap merchant and Cast repair station on the ship. Her feet felt like she had walked fifty kilometres so far! Kireek's remains had done a fair bit of travelling themselves, being passed from person to person. When the recipient had discovered what he had done, they wanted nothing to do with it and moved them on. The parts were then assigned for destruction and given to a dealer called Septia Moose.

Septia Moose however had gone missing over six months ago, one of Black Paper's victims. They used his shop as a front to sell on their stolen merchandise. The authorities knew this information that had been uncovered as well. However, Moose's shop was located in one of the more 'run-down' districts of Pioneer 2's Vega residential district. Here Moose's neighbours would be understandably reluctant to venture forth information. Fortunately, Sue had more luck. Kireek's fresh assault on Ash serving to loosen tongues sufficiently to serve purpose.

The final pages of her notes consisted of a list of descriptions of various regulars that had called upon Moose's shop up until recently. The fact that the shop had been boarded up seemed to be no barrier to business. She could eliminate all but four of the suspects as the Hunter thieves. It was the unknown ones that would prove problematic. Pioneer 2 was the second wave of settlers so it carried only sixty thousand people made up of humans, newmen and androids. But _twenty five thousand_ of those were members of the Hunters Guild in some capacity and that does not discount those who would imitate a hunter for whatever reason.

She raised the glass to her mouth but put it back to the table when her arm beeped. A BEE system message. The message was direct, "_Come to the telepipe reception area in the labs immediately._" There was no name signed to it. The message header had been spoofed so she could not determine who had sent it. She paused for two seconds and then strode purposefully toward the Lab.


	8. The Devil You Know

****

--- Part 8: The Devil You Know ---

She checked in at the Guild desk located at the entrance to the government VR research labs. Perusing the activity boards she saw only one name was listed as being on the surface. She frowned, it was early evening but there should still be many more people listed there. She then chided herself for being stupid. The whole security blanket ban was in effect thus no missions. It would seem that you could earn a lot of trust by being the Hunter that killed Falz.

She shrugged and walked towards the rendezvous point. If she did solve this mystery, she would no doubt need that Hunter's assistance, it was always useful to have that kind of sheer power for backup. The lights were all on but the shops and other areas were closed, no hunters equalled no business. It gave her the feel of walking into a trap and she shivered slightly despite not being cold. She was just glad that she always walked around fully armed.

She descended the ramp and saw that no one was there. Walking to the window the thought occurred to her that she might be early for whatever meeting was coming. Staring down at the blue-green globe beyond the window, she almost did not hear the voice quietly summoning her.

"Psst!"

She turned to see the source of the noise, the FOnewm Hopkins hiding in his little alcove. She approached him.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked.

He ignored her question. "Did you come here alone? Did anyone follow you?" His tone was hushed but urgent.

"Followed? No. What are you talking about?"

She was surprised when he grabbed her by the wrist. A jolt and she found herself in a familiar room. The circular room had no visible exits and was sparsely decorated with strange ornate objects. She had been here before a couple of times before.

"I do apologise for the secrecy, but it was quite necessary." Said Pagani, the mature FOnewm seated before her. He turned to face Hopkins.

"If you'll excuse us, me and the young lady have many important things to discuss."

"I did good didn't I?" 

"Yes you did." Said Pagani as he placed a small object into Hopkins' hand.

Hopkins smiled and took a step back. He pressed a button on his forearm panel and vanished.

"A faithful lad but not the brightest star in the sky if you catch my drift. Unlike you of course."

Sue cocked her head to one side.

"I do apologise once more, I forget how direct Hunters would prefer me to be. I am hoping that you will listen to what I have to tell you before you pass any judgement."

With that Sue crossed her arms. "I make no promises." She said coldly.

"Of course not and I would not expect you to. I have followed you throughout your career as a Hunter and would say I know you better than any other person on this ship." He paused.

"Sue... I have something to tell you... I AM your father."


	9. Eyes Wide Open

****

--- Part 9: Eyes Wide Open ---

"WHAT?!" Shouted Sue incredulously.

"Sorry, sorry. I joke." Grinned Pagani. "I saw that line in a holocast once and always wanted to try it on someone."

"I don't have time for these games." Sue fumed and turned as if to leave.

"You are searching for who is behind Kireek."

Sue stopped and turned back slowly. "Go on."

"You know me as a collector of Photon 'eccentricities' and occasionally data. Indeed when my sources told me of the secret research facility on Gal De Val island I knew that I must get my hands on that information immediately. However the stringent qualification conditions required meant that agents loyal to me are unable to even set foot on the island. I was able to get around this by appealing to passing Hunters' sense of curiosity or greed."

"The tower data?"

"Yes, Doctor Osto had labs there but of more use to me was data from Doctor Graves, the photon engineer. It seems that the parasite cell 'D' was not the only strange material recovered from the Ruins. My spies in Doctor Montague's lab have only confirmed what I suspected, namely the discovery of a new photon type!"

"A new photon type?"

"Much of our civilisation's technology is built upon the fourteen photon types. But scientists have always theorised that there maybe more photon types. Indeed the people of Pioneer 1 discovered this new photon. Five years ago, they sent a encrypted transmission back to Coral about their findings. They knew they had discovered something but they did not have an understanding of it yet."

"So you knew about the Ruins for five years and you didn't tell anyone?"

"Please, you must understand that to admit to cracking military transmissions would make things _uncomfortable_ for me. Besides, think about it for a half a Beat... I was not the only one that knew about it..."

"The military..." Said Sue breathlessly.

"You may have heard of W.O.R.K.S., the special ops division of the military. They had big plans for all of this, but lacked muscle, especially compared to our all-conquering Hunter. The death of Falz put a crimp on their plans, as if they could do a better job of stopping or containing Falz than Pioneer 1's army."

"How does Kireek fit into all this?"


	10. Devil's Advocate

****

--- Part 10: Devil's Advocate ---

"Ah Kireek. Yes yes. On Pioneer 1 there was a highly decorated military hero named Heathcliff Flowen. He led the expeditions into the Ruins until his death in an earthquake caused by computers hooked up to probe the Ruins' systems. It would seem that before his untimely passing, he managed to integrate a small amount of unusual unpurified photons into weapon prototypes that he was building. These prototypes were given out to military officers and important personnel from Pioneer 1."

He continued. "When news came to me of these weapons I knew that I would have to acquire them. But with the power that they contained, no one in their right mind would want to trade such a rare find."

"That's what Black Paper and Kireek were looking for! These prototypes. Were they worth killing for?" Asked Sue.

"The weapons were ordinary base models, modified with the new photon type. Dark Photons! That's what they were. Falz contained within himself a power to rival that of... that of..." He gestured frantically trying to think of a comparison. "... Of a star!" He finished triumphantly.

"So others died just so you could boost your collection?"

"It was not my intention that others should die. In the beginning it was simple enough, a few cuts and bruises but no one got seriously hurt. At some point Kireek reasoned that it was more logical to kill them, no witnesses and all that. It got really bad when he developed a taste for it, but maybe I was blinded by the results that he achieved."

Sue snorted at the mention of results.

"He did prove invaluable when it came to covering up our tracks. The speed at which Black Paper and his associates had been arrested was shocking. I couldn't take the chance that he wouldn't talk."

"So Kireek silenced him."

"Yes, Alex, as you knew him, knew the risks."

"How did you know I knew him?"

"I told you before, I have watched your rise amongst the ranks of Hunters for some time."

"Why me?" She asked as her hand slowly slid along to the photon storage control panel on her arm.

"I have my reasons. After Kireek's destruction, I pulled strings in the government in order to have him rebuilt. Although I made sure to hide the trail it seems that Kireek would enjoy a sense of closure in matters. Hence his frankly outrageous attack on poor Ash. I'm just glad that if anyone would have worked out who it was, that it would be you."

"So you are the mysterious Black Arm eh? I don't suppose that it ends with you?"

Pagani smiled broadly.

"Pioneer 3 is already on its way, did you know that?"

"No, I didn't. What about your son? Where does he fit into all of this?"

"Hopkins? He is an innocent in all of this. If anything his name would be Black Sheep..." He chuckled at that statement. "... But he is weak. You are the daughter I should have had... or a replacement for the son I do have."

"So why are you telling me all of this? I now know everything."

Pagani sighed heavily.

"I guess I'm a sentimental old fool. I had the tiniest hope that you would join us, work for me."

"Not a chance." She replied defiantly while activating her Nei's Claw.

"I knew that would be your answer..." His voice was tinged with sadness. "...So you must be taken care of..."

At those words Sue leapt across the room at Pagani, her hand mounted blades mere millimetres from his face when he vanished...


	11. Out of Control

****

--- Part 11: Out of Control ---

The wave of heat that hit her face made her eyes water briefly. She spun round to take in her surroundings. It was not Pagani who had vanished but her. Pressing all around was the dense jungle of Gal De Val island. She had made short visits before and like most of the other hunters had made rapid retreats. The creatures here were phenomenally strong, no doubt as a result of meddling by Doctor Osto.

She saw that she was in a small clearing, the ground worn down just enough to indicate that others had come this way before her. The small computer terminal beside her was deactivated, with no Hunters on the surface it was not needed. She knew there must be a reason that Pagani had sent her here. The feeling that she was not alone was confirmed by the sound of someone or something cutting its way through the undergrowth.

"I have come for that which belongs to me!"

Kireek's words chilled her to her very core. Pagani had banished her to the island with that monster to silence her permanently. She tried a telepipe. A buzz told her something was stopping it from activating. Probably Kireek's enhancements, which meant that he was too close!

She began to run through the bushes, desperate to put some suitable distance between her and the killer android. Clearing the tree line she saw that she was situated on the hills to the North of the Central Control Area. She saw it and breathed a small sigh of relief. The one Hunter that could possibly save her was down in that facility somewhere. She only hoped that she could get there in time...

__

To be continued...


End file.
